By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: NYT.
Two South Africans have been severely injured in the drone attacks on the front line in Ukraine, while another is missing, presumed dead or captured.
They are among at least 17 who were lured to Ukraine/Russia under false pretenses.
According to Sunday Times, a 39-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal deployed by Russia to the Donbas war zone in Ukraine was injured in a drone attack in December, resulting in the amputation of his foot.
Another South African man, a 45-year-old from the same province, has been confined to a wheelchair since he was injured in a drone attack. His colleagues are unsure if his condition is permanent.
The men were lured to join mercenary forces involved in the Ukraine-Russia war under the pretext of lucrative employment contracts and were now requesting assistance to return home.
It is not clear which side the men were fighting for, although their presence in Donbas, a region of Ukraine that is largely occupied by Russia, as well as the reference to them having been lured by the promise of financial reward strongly suggests they were enlisted by Russia.
Both sides have enlisted foreign fighters, though Russia has done so on a far larger scale, often relying on coercion and deception.
The men have publicly claimed that they had been duped by former Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile and other parties.
The matter is currently being investigated by the Hawks after one of her sisters opened a case claiming that relatives were among those that ended up in Russia.
On Thursday, 19 February 2026, four of the 17 men finally returned home after months of anguish. Their return plane tickets were paid for by the South African government through its Moscow embassy.
SA Police Services (SAPS) spokesperson Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the men were questioned by the Hawks on their arrival in South Africa. “The matter is being handled by the team that deals with cases against the state. Warning statements were taken and their devices seized, as this forms part of an ongoing investigation,” she said.
South African law prohibits citizens from joining foreign armed conflicts without authorisation.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged support for a process to return South Africans fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, with teams from both sides set to continue engagements to finalize the effort.